Results 10,401-10,420 of 19,032 for speaker:Ruairi Quinn

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I announced in the House on 11th January that my Department is to report to me within four weeks on the impact of the withdrawal of posts under these older schemes on DEIS Band 1 and Band 2 primary schools only. This report will detail the facts for each individual school affected by this measure, applying the most up to date enrolments for September 2011. In addition, the report will take...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 101 together. The details which the Deputy has requested are not readily available to my Department. Accordingly, my Department has requested the information from the Vocational Education Committees and this will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is received and collated.

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The details the Deputy has requested are not readily available to my Department. Accordingly, my Department has requested the information from the Vocational Education Committees. I will arrange for the information to be collated by my Department and forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My Department is currently considering additional information provided in support of the request to lease accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy. A decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The new simplified approach to the General Allocation Model of support for schools will make it easier to automatically update it annually in line with the changes in the number of classroom teachers in each school. Schools will also have autonomy on how to deploy the resource between language support and learning support depending on their specific needs. All schools are being treated...

Written Answers — Information and Communications Technology: Information and Communications Technology (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, the need to ensure value for money in public expenditure is greater than ever. In common with many other State-funded initiatives, the ICT in Schools programme has needed to re-evaluate its spending priorities to ensure it can continue to deliver essential services, notwithstanding an unavoidable reduction in the overall level of resources available....

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Last December, I announced details of the education infrastructure plan for 2012. Details of this plan are available on my Department's website, www.education.ie. For the Deputy's convenience, I have attached copies of the announced lists of schools under construction (60 schools) or anticipated to be progressed to construction in 2012 (56 schools). I have also committed to announcing...

Written Answers — Psychological Service: Psychological Service (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Deputy will be aware that primary and post-primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA). Any school that does not have a NEPS psychologist assigned to it may avail of the SCPA, whereby it can have an assessment carried out by a...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. The decision to approve a job-sharing or career break application is a matter for the authorities of the employing school. In schools that have over-quota teachers, applications for job-sharing and a career break may be considered by the authorities of the schools concerned in the normal way. However if the school is over its staffing...

Written Answers — Vocational Education Committees: Vocational Education Committees (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The matter referred to by the Deputy is currently the subject of discussions under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment on the matter at this time.

Written Answers — Modern Language Teaching: Modern Language Teaching (2 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Modern Languages in Primary Schools Initiative has been a pilot scheme involving approximately 550 schools that has operated since 1998. The decision to end the scheme took account of a 2008 Report by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The report identified serious issues with curricular overload at primary level. The NCCA's advice recommended for the present...

Written Answers — Second Level Fees: Second Level Fees (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The student immigration system stipulates that non-EU persons with student immigration permission can only access fee charging post primary schools. The level of fees charged is a matter for the schools themselves. Immigration permission is not granted for students intending to enrol in non-fee charging schools. In addition to the student immigration position, it should be noted that...

Written Answers — School Accommodation: School Accommodation (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Further information in relation to its application for additional accommodation has been received in recent days by my Department from the school, referred to by the Deputy. A decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this information has been assessed.

Written Answers — Departmental Applications: Departmental Applications (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: I will arrange for a reply to issue direct to the Deputy in relation to the case that he has referred to.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: My priority as Minister for Education and Skills is to preserve access to undergraduate higher education courses despite the difficult circumstances in our public finances. As a result, no changes were made to the eligibility criteria for undergraduate students in the recent Budget. It is also worth emphasising that 41% of all undergraduate students currently receive a grant and pay no...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: As I am sure the Deputy will appreciate, the need to ensure value for money in public expenditure is greater than ever. In common with many other State-funded initiatives, the ICT in Schools programme has needed to re-evaluate its spending priorities in order to ensure that it can continue to deliver essential services notwithstanding an unavoidable reduction in the overall level of resources...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The Education Act 1998 listed the planning and co-ordination of support services (including speech therapy services) as a function of the Minister for Education and Science. In actual fact speech therapy services are provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) who receive the financial vote for the provision of such services. There are therefore no services currently being provided by my...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (1 Feb 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: Officials in my Department have contacted City of Dublin VEC in this instance. I understand that an email issued to the student referred to by the Deputy from CDVEC on 24th January requesting additional specific documentation. As soon as the requested documentation has been provided to the VEC, it will be in a position to proceed with processing of the application. In addition to the grant...

Written Answers — Credit Availability: Credit Availability (31 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The school to which the Deputy refers has recently submitted an application for capital funding to my Department. The application will be considered and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as this process has been completed.

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (31 Jan 2012)

Ruairi Quinn: The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. Reckonable income for student grants purposes is gross income from all sources. Therefore, the assessing authorities use the profit or loss as shown by the statement of rental income and no allowance is made for the interest associated with rental income. The Deputy will appreciate that in...